The 2008 election marks the beginning of a historic opportunity, where young, progressive voters in Western states can fundamentally reshape the political landscape on a local and national level.
The Bus Federation, comprised of grassroots youth political organizations in five Western states, will draw upon its proven models of youth organizing to activate young progressive voters, develop the next generation of progressive leaders, and mobilize for immediate term electoral impact – laying the foundations for local and national breakthroughs in the 2008 election cycle and beyond.
The Bus Federation takes its name from the Oregon Bus Project's pioneering Bus Trips program, which has made over 200,000 voter contacts since 2002 and helped swing the Oregon Legislature to a progressive majority for the first time in 16 years. The "Bus Trips" organizing model - consisting of high-energy, youth-oriented mass canvass trips attended by 75-150 volunteers – is a highly efficient and effective voter mobilization tool. During one mass canvass, Bus Federation volunteers typically knock on 4,000 doors in swing districts, harnessing the power of door-to-door voter contact and leveraging volunteer energy to elect progressive candidates, all while building a sense of community around political volunteerism.
While the Federation structure enables the different state organizations to tailor their programs to their states' unique political landscapes, it also enables the member organizations to share core programs – such as Bus Trips, the Trick or Vote Halloween Canvass, and Alternative Candidate Debates – as well as organizational best practices, common branding and messaging, joint purchasing, and key metrics of performance.